Many firearms are constructed to accommodate disassembly or partial disassembly for purposes such as cleaning, oiling, inspection, bluing, and repair. Examples of such a firearm include a .45 caliber pistol including "government model" MK IV/Series 80 and an "officer's model", officer's ACP both manufactured by Colt, Model 1911-A1 manufactured by Springfield Armory, and models made by AMT, Auto Ordinance, Caspian, Crown City, Detronics, Falcon, Federal Ordinance Ranger, Randall and Vega. In these firearms, part of the disassembly procedure includes rotation and/or removal of a barrel bushing and/or a plug such as a recoil spring plug. Rotation and/or disassembly of these parts can be accomplished by hand without use of any tools. However, such rotation and/or disassembly is somewhat difficult without the use of tools. For example, the procedure with respect to the government model firearm includes pushing the slide portion back, about 1/4", pressing down on the recoil spring plug and at the same time rotating the barrel bushing clockwise by about 1/4 turn. The pushing back of the slide is not absolutely necessary but does facilitate rotation of the barrel bushing. After the barrel bushing has been rotated the plug will be freed and the spring underlying the plug will tend to eject the plug from the firearm. Therefore, it is necessary to keep pressure on the plug to prevent it from being ejected by the spring and being possibly lost or striking an object. The plug is then allowed to gradually extend out of the slide portion of the firearm by gradually reducing the pressure on the plug. The manual procedure described is somewhat difficult because of the necessity to press the plug and rotate the barrel and because of the strength or torque needed to accomplish rotation of the barrel bushing. Therefore, a tool is sometimes used in connection with rotating the barrel bushing. Typically, this tool is a generally flat piece having a cutout or opening generally of the shape of the barrel bushing which is fitted over the barrel bushing and turned to rotate the barrel bushing.
A difficulty with respect to the tools which have been used is that they do not adequately restrain the exit of the plug after the rotation of the barrel bushing. Another difficulty of the tools previously used is that they do not restrain or direct the amount or direction of rotation of the barrel bushing. Yet another difficulty of the previously available tools is that they do not provide for partial exit of the plug without manipulation or movement of the tool itself away from the firearm. As a result of these insufficiencies, when using such tools, the plug may be difficult to safely remove, and may unexpectedly be ejected from the firearm and become lost or may strike an object or person. Also, the user of the tool may be able to use the tool to rotate the barrel bushing in the wrong direction or may be able to use the tool to overrotate or underrotate the barrel bushing thus frustrating the object of disassemblying the firearm.
With respect to disassembly of the officer's model firearm, the initial steps are similar to those described above in connection with the government model, namely, the recoil spring plug is depressed and rotated about 90.degree. in a clockwise direction. The plug in this position remains in a depressed condition. The barrel bushing is rotated about 1/4 turn. In this case, the barrel bushing is rotated counterclockwise rather than clockwise.
With respect to this initial portion of the disassembly, it may be possible to use tools for rotation of the barrel bushing and/or plug. As noted above, however, previously used tools do not limit the amount or direction of rotation of the barrel bushing.
After the officer's model barrel bushing is rotated, the bushing is pulled forward and out of the firearm. Next, the recoil spring plug is then turned about another 1/4 turn clockwise. A screwdriver can be used for this purpose. The spring plug is then freed and is biased towards expulsion from the firearm. Accordingly, the spring force must be controlled carefully to allow the spring plug and the two recoil springs to extend out of the slide and to be removed. Although an ordinary screwdriver can be used in connection with depressing and rotating the recoil spring plug, the screwdriver does not control or determine the depth of depression of the plug and does not control the amount or direction of rotation of the plug. Furthermore, as the plug is released there is no device on the ordinary screwdriver for preventing or restraining ejection and/or the direction of ejection of the plug out of the firearm.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a tool for use in partial disassembly of a firearm which controls or prevents premature or uncontrolled ejection of the spring plug. It would further be advantageous to provide a tool which controls the amount and/or direction of rotation of the barrel bushing and/or the spring plug. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a tool which permits partial release of the spring plug upon rotation of the barrel bushing for controlled removal of the spring plug.
It would be further advantageous to provide a tool which is useful in connection with both the rotation of the barrel bushing and the rotation of the plug. It also would be advantageous to provide the tool which can be used in connection both with an officer's style firearm and a government style firearm.